Arabian Themed Hen Party

Planning your hen party can be exciting and sometimes a little bit daunting, especially if you are unsure as to what theme route you want to go down. An Arabian theme night for your hen party could give you just the theme you are looking for!

As well as bringing your girlfriends together to have a laugh, having a spicy Arabian night will enable you to incorporate themed costumes and food as well as music into your evening. Sometimes known as a Harem night these ornate parties can also include belly dancers, genies, sultans and even snakes.

To start with, during the organisation of your hen night, why not send out some invitations with an Arabian feel to them to let your guests know the plans of the evening. You will be able to add plenty of bright colours and shapes to your invites, such as a genie lamp, a sultan's turban, a flying carpet or an Arabian shoe, which will give your guests an idea what to expect.

It might just be that you want the guests to dress with the Arabian theme and when you all meet up, you will hit your local clubs and bars together and that could be the extent of your themed night. Or, you may wish to go the whole hog and organise for a tent to be erected somewhere, your back garden or the garden of a pub somewhere, with permission of course, and even include a live band that will play Arabian music to get you in the mood.

Decoration and Food

You could decorate a hired room with the Arabian feel and cover the walls with curtains and large pieces of silky material etc. Have candles and oil lamps placed around the room but ensure that they are no where near the fabrics and that every precaution is taken to ensure that you and your guests are risk free from fire. Add large cushions and rugs onto the floor and make a seating area for you and your guests to lounge on just like an Arabian princess would. You could even ask the waiters if they would agree to dress as Arabian servants for the evening, you never know, they may even agree to feed you a grape or two!

Other decorations you could include in your room or tent could be large feathers, fans or ornately painted baskets. You can use balloons and streamers just like at every other party but choose your colours carefully. Go slightly overstated if you wish and hang stars and moons from the ceiling if you can and even include a large sanded area complete with fake palm trees or even add a water feature in the middle of the room.

If you are not going out for a meal perhaps you could hire caterers to provide you with a splendid Arabian feast? However, if you are planning on providing the food yourself ensure that you include exotic foods such as breads and pitas, nuts and fruit and of course the iconic bunches of grapes.

Tips for Arabian Hen Party

Budget permitting, perhaps you can treat your guests to a parting gift of candles and oils.

For those who like organising, perhaps you could find the nearest fancy dress shops and pass the information along to your guests, especially if you want certain people to be wearing a particular costume.

Hire a belly dancer.

If you are decorating the venue yourself, keep to nice rich colours such as orange, red and gold.

Look around for just the right music to make it feel Arabian or even hire Arabian musicians for the night.

Treat your guests to belly dancing lessons.

You may wish to include some Arabian party games, such as pass the genie lamp instead of pass the parcel around, or even craft making activities during your evening such as candle making. A twist on truth or dare could be fun but make sure that everyone is up for the games.

Remember to enjoy the planning of your magical and unique Arabian night as well as the actual evening itself!